Hot Like Fire
by SoldierNoodles
Summary: Very often it takes cruel rejection to see unrequited love, as they say: "pain provides prospective".


Naruto loves Sakura.

He loves her arms, legs, knees, elbows, nose, forehead, and he especially loves her pastels pink hair and angelic jade eyes. Sakura could make Naruto float in such an unbelievable way that he often found himself holding his breath in her presence. Undoubtedly, he considered her his best friend, but he knew she hadn't the eyes for him but rather a sour puss of a personality- _fucking _Uchiha. Dear _God_, how he _loved _Sasuke all the same and all the less, and the fact that Sasuke _clearly _had feelings for Sakura and neither of them ever notice makes it even harder to deal with. Naruto decided long ago that this love triangle would go nowhere.

Ever.

He had begun a steady tread up the polished floor of the auxiliary gym, dribbling the basketball along side his body. The blonde remained at a loss; if it wasn't Sakura- if it wasn't Sakura? He could never think of anyone else to fall in love with, he searches with amazing "Naruto Might" but no one ever fits into that Sakura filled hole. The table tennis club watched as he sank the basketball through the hoop- a simple dunk, administered expertly. He fetches the rebound and starts up the opposite end of the court after tucking his t-shirt into his shorts. He plans to throw a three pointer this time, Naruto watches as the ball goes from fingertips to floor, floor to fingertips and back again. Maybe he could go single, be a bachelor like Jiriya; it sure as hell was working for his old ass God father. He misses the three pointer and rebounds- this time traveling towards the hoop for a layup. Maybe, he wondered, maybe its because we're the same. Surely likes repel and opposites attract. A relationship without leverage never works. He wiped his face off and tucked his basketball underneath his arm; he'd started practice hours earlier than when he was supposed to with the JV players and far past the varsity practice ending time. The bronze skinned delinquent stalked towards the locker room to wipe down his skin and some cologne, from there he left for the school parking lot and climbed in his car to head home.

"Welcome home!"

"'M home."

Naruto watched his mother, her red hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that reached her rear and her long bangs clipped back, face sweaty. He became suspicious when a familiar cheek-to-cheek grin spread across her flushed face.

"Mom..." he was cautious as he took off his sneakers and shirt at the entrance of their home, "Whatcha doing mom?"

"Cooking!" Before he could say anything else she had broke into a trot towards the kitchen, Naruto watched her flaming hair trail behind her. As he slid his backpack from off his shoulders he followed after her amd discarded the tiny thing on the floor by the sliding door.

Inside the kitchen was a complete mess. Naruto's blue eyes scanned the floor where a million years worth of rice had been... spilled... all over the floor. His mother was busy washing even more rice in the sink and not the disheveled and broken hanging window curtains in front of her. He looked to the dinner table to see his father's face planted downwards,

"Hey dad?" His greeting came out like like a question rather than a greeting.

"Naruto kid... say: do you know how to make rice?"

"Well yeah, but I like my onigiri really big."

There was a moment of silence; Kushina had stopped cleaning the rice to listen to the conversation.

"What?" She had spun around to face her son and husband, "Why did you teach him first?"

"Sasuke taught me, Ma."

Yondaime said nothing.

"Hey blondie jerk!" Kushina shouted, waving her rice covered hands everywhere, "Don't you think something is wrong here?"

"I'm teaching you now, Kushina!" His father wailed defensively.

"You can sleep on the couch." She flipped him off and stomped towards the main foyer,

"That's not fair!"

Her head popped through the sliding door, "No sex for a month." Naruto decided it was time to dismiss himself as his father chased after his mother with tear filled eyes.

His room was small; a four wall cubicle with his bed shoved up against one wall, a small plasma screen Tv on the opposite wall with a docking station for his phone and MP3 player. One wall was two sliding doors and a small balcony the other his door and closet, his bathroom was across the hall. In the middle of the floor was a small table with two cushions, he sat on one and began peeling his clothes off.

_Maybe if I kill Sasuke..._

Of course he didnt have the guts to do that.

He stood up and walked naked to his bathroom, started his tub and soaked for a half hour.


End file.
